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Positives
- Improved Pop
- Very Fast Base
- Solid Grip without Grabbing
- Good Pow Set Back
- Very Versatile All Mtn Ride
Negatives
- Lost some Chatter Absorption
Summary
The Cardiff Crane 2024-2025 is more light and poppy but less damp. Despite that, it still works as a very versatile one-board quiver for those who want to do a little of everything.Where To Buy
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Riding Style | All Mountain |
Riding Level | Intermediate - Expert |
Fits Boot size (US) | 8-10, 10-12 |
Manufactured in | China |
Shape | Tapered Directional |
Camber Profile | Hybrid Camber |
Stance | Setback -20mm |
Approx. Weight | Feels Normal |
Split | Comes in split |
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On Snow Feel | |
Turn Initiation | |
Skidded Turns |
Flex | |
Buttering | |
Edge Hold |
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Cardiff Crane 2024-2025 Written Review Review by The Good Ride
An Honest But Objective Breakdown Of How The Cardiff Crane Rides And Who It Is For
![Cardiff Crane Review - The Good Ride Cardiff Crane Review - The Good Ride](https://thegoodride.com/assets/Cardiff-Crane-Review-The-Good-Ride-300x169.jpg)
How It Was Tested:
I borrowed the Cardiff Crane for an extended demo and sent it back.
Size: 156
Days: 5
Conditions: Pretty good late spring conditions and even a little wet but fun late spring pow.
Riders: James (Size 9, 5’10”, 185-190lbs)
Boots: Bataleon Acid Boa, Ride Deadbolt
Insoles: F.I.T. Gamechangers
Bindings: Union Atlas, Union Force, Union Falcor
Redundancy: Strapins in case boots or bindings break.
Jacket: Jones Mtn Surf Anorak, Skyline Fuse Jacket
Pant: Jones Mountain Surf Bib, Burton AK Gore-Tex Pro 3L Hover Pant,
Helmet: Smith Method, Smith Scout, Smith Maze
Goggle: Smith 4D Mag
Gloves: Burton AK Clutch Mitt, Burton AK Tech Leather Glove
James’s Set Up: 21.5” Wide. Stance Angles +18/-9, +15/-15. Close to Reference on groomers and Set all the way back in powder.
Similar Boards We Like (but not the same):
Korua Otto, K2 Manifest, Jones Frontier, Ride Shadowban, Salomon Highpath, Yes Standard Uninc, Yes Basic Uninc, Cardiff Lynx
Ethics Statement: This review has zero brand oversight. This is our best effort at an honest, objective review to help you, the consumer.
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Approximate Weight
The Cardiff Crane feels on the light side of normal but not full-on ultralight.
(We don’t put in the exact weight because, with wood cores, there is no consistency in a board’s weight)
Sizing
I was impressed with how well the Cardiff Crane 156 fit me for having such a wide waist and width over the inserts. It might be the narrower nose/tail that made it easy for my 9’s to turn, but who knows. I can only say it didn’t feel like a 26cm waist. Instead, it felt like a 25.4cm waist, and it was pretty easy to control. The 158 would be better for my weight of 185-190lbs but not enough for me to want to relinquish the control I have with the 156. That’s the size I’d buy.
Sizing is all about balancing what fits your boot size and your weight for how you like to ride. If your boot is too wide, you can’t turn it; if it’s too narrow, you get the dreaded Toe & Heel Drag. Your weight is a close second to boot size because it determines how the board will feel under your foot. Height comes in a distant 3rd. Some prefer control, so matching the boot size is the priority. Others prefer dampness over control and like to size up.
Here are some ideal US boot sizes for these boards.
146: 6-7
150: 7-8
154: 8.5-9.5
156: 9-10.5
158: 10-11
162: 11-12
Cardiff doesn’t seem to have recommended weight ranges, so try to find a board that is close to the length you normally ride. With the bigger sizes, you can ride this 4-8mm wider than you normally would a standard-length all-mountain board.
Shape
The 2024-2025 Carfiff Crane went from a slightly tapered, almost directional twin to a full-on directional one. The nose is longer than the tail, and there is a -20mm setback on the sidecut, but it feels pretty centered.
Camber/On Snow Feel/Ability Level
There is a long camber, but it doesn’t really keep rising like some hybrid camber boards. It almost flattens out over the inserts, and the overall feel of the underfoot is pretty stable and forgiving. There is just enough early rise for it not to be locked in, and riders of any level could go for this. That being said, I’d say keep it to intermediates and experts, as Cardiff has a fun and a little more forgiving board called the Lynx, which is a better fit. All Cardiff boards, including the Crane and Lynx, track one footing and flat basing very well.
Flex Personality
There is a nice even medium to medium-stiff flex through the camber points, but the nose and tail are a good bit softer. You get a little extra leverage with the early rise before the nose/tail, and the longer nose feels a touch softer than the tail. What I noticed with the new Cardiff Crane Enduro vs. the Older Cardiff Crane Enduro Classic is you get some extra pop, and it has an easier ollie. It’s a little easy to butter as well.
Uneven Snow
You trade some dampness for pop. I feel this is on the verge of being too chatty/bucky/bouncy, but it held on just enough not to be fatiguing in the mostly uneven spring conditions I had.
Edge Hold
Cardiff has a pretty cool disruption in the sidecut that is barely noticeable but just in the right place to be very effective. It’s very competent in hard snow and does better than many boards with a much more exaggerated disruption. You won’t feel it grab soft snow at all, either.
Speed
The Cardiff Cran’e sidecut is more balanced than you think, being 7.4M on a 156, so it can go straight. It just doesn’t have the dampness to really go straight and fast. It’s fine for an all-mountain board, though, and you can for sure get a little better straight-line power with the slightly stiffer and more straight-line-friendly Goat.
Base Glide
It’s almost excellent. I love riding boards like Cardiff because I know they take base glide seriously. When it’s waxed, I never have to worry about long traverses. I made some nasty traverses that went a little uphill to a long, flat section without having to unstrap and skate. I didn’t put in the video review because it was so long that even at 600 times normal speed, it was too long.
Turning Experience/Carving
The Cardiff Crane was pretty quick edge-to-edge for my size 9US boots. Again, this worked much better than I thought for having such a wide width over the inserts and at the waist. When I got it on edge, it wasn’t as turny as I thought it would be for a 7.4M sidecut, but it was very fun and balanced. It’s down to make any turn you want to. The spring out of the turn is more satisfying than you would think for the camber height. There is a very good spring out of a more committed turn.
Powder
So I got mostly skunked again because Cardiff sent this thing in spring, but I got a little taste in 2-4″ of thick wet one day and then about 3-5 of much better but mostly tracked pow. On a better day, I had to test with the Powgoda instead. Regardless, the longer nose than tail and 2.375″ set back on board will float well for an all mtn board. It felt like it had very similar float to my wider 156 YES Standard Uninc.
Switch/Freestyle/Park
Very doable switch, great for kickers and fun in the pipe.
Final Thoughts
So I wasn’t sure if I’d like the new lighter and more poppy construction. I usually don’t like boards that can’t handle uneven snow, but this handled it enough for it not to be a deal breaker. It would be even better if they figured out how to dampen this a little more and not make it more expensive. As it stands, this is a very versatile ride.
You can go to Crane Pro Carbon if you want more pop and dampness. I rode the 158. Well, it mostly rode me. That thing is a beast and was way too much board for me. It was just too hard to turn, and I had to speed check too much. It’s a great board for those who want to go big with minimal compromises.
You can go Goat or Goat Pro Carbon if you want something more straight-line friendly with more taper/directional float but not too much to ruin getting big air.
Or if you want something a little cheaper, more directional, and mellow but still really fun, go with the Lynx.
Cardiff Crane Past Reviews
2020-2023 Cardiff Crane Review
The Cardiff Crane offers up a slightly tapered all mountain one board quiver ride that appeals to a mid/wide footer that see’s a little more powder than most.
Update 2023: The Cardiff Crane has not changed since 2021 so this review still stands. They did add more sizes though.
Positives
- Stable but not boring
- Solid Grip
- Good Setback On Board For Power
- Very fast base
- Very Versatile one board quiver
Negatives
- Not as poppy as some competitors
Ethics Statement: We don’t get paid by the manufacturer to write these reviews, which is our unfiltered opinion. We do make money from the “Where To Buy” links, but this is our best attempt at an honest and objective review from an average rider’s perspective.
How it rides and who it is for
How This Review Happened:
We borrowed the Cardiff Crane for an extended demo and sent it back.
Size: 154
Days: 4+
Conditions: Spring Conditions, but it felt better than it looked.
Riders: James (Size 9, 5’10” 185-190lbs) & Clint (Size 10, 175lbs 5’11”)
Boots: Burton Kendo, Burton Ion
Insoles: Sandsole Custom Insoles, F.I.T. Gamechangers, F.I.T. Gameghangers LP
Bindings: Union Atlas, Union Contact Pro/Union Superpro,
Jacket: Burton AK Gore-Tex Pro 3L Tusk Jacket, Volcom TDF Infuse 3L Gore-Tex Jacket, Burton Banshee Gore-Tex Jacket
Pant: Burton AK Gore-Tex Pro 3L Hover Pant, Burton AK Gore-Tex 2L Swash Pant, Burton Gore-Tex Ballast Pant
Helmet: Smith Maze, Smith Vantage
Goggle: Smith IO Mag, Smith 4D Mag
Gloves: Burton AK Guide Glove, Burton AK Clutch Mitt, Burton AK Tech Leather Glove, Burton AK Tech Glove,
Similar Boards (but not the same):
Korua Otto, Lib Tech Terrain Wrecker, Capita Mercury, Capita BSOD, Jones Mountain Twin, K2 Manifest, Jones Frontier, Ride Algorythm, Ride Wild Life, Yes Basic Uninc 158
Set-Up: 21.5” Wide. 18 front -9 back & 15 front -15 back. Close to Reference
Approximate Weight:
(We don’t put in the exact weight because, with wood cores, there is no consistency in a board’s weight)
The Cardiff Crane felt normal for a 154. Not too heavy and not too light.
Sizing
Here are some ideal US boot sizes for these boards. You can, of course, go bigger or smaller, but these work best for not turning the board slower than it should be and not having the dreaded Toe & Heel Drag.
150: 8-9
154: 8.5-9.5
156: 9-10
158: 10-11
162: 11-12
I was too heavy for the 154 Cardiff Crane, but turning in my size nine boots was easy. The 158 felt right for my weight but was slightly slower for my size nine boots. I think this sizing matches up better with more of a mid/wide boot. The 158 was also a touch slow for Clint (size 10 boots), but he liked it. Now that they have the 156, I’d choose the size.
Shape/Camber/On Snow Feel/Ability Level
There is only a little taper (2.5mm), so the Cardiff Crane feels pretty close to a double-ender. It has a pretty centered ride. I compared it to the Jones Mountain Twin. It obviously felt more directional, but it was way closer to the Jones Mountain Twin than I thought it would be.
The Camber underfoot is not super pronounced but goes a good bit past the inserts to give it a stable but not locked-in feel. It is one-footed and flat-based really well. You could skid a turn pretty easily with this, especially if you match the board width to your boot size.
Flex/Pop/Buttering
The Cardiff Crane pops pretty easily for this medium to medium/stiff flex. It has the everyman’s ollie power that I truly appreciate. Buttering was more work than we thought it would be, but it is more than doable. I like it to be a little more work than most hybrid camber rides. Some give up too easily, and you butter right onto your ass.
Speed
The Cardiff Crane, like all Cardiff boards, has a super fast base. It just has an easy glide to it, and it is up there with Weston, Jones, and other super-fast bases we love. This isn’t a Bonsai bomber, but it has a stable, short-distance straight line. It really feels stable tracking into a jump or when you have to point it to make a flat traverse.
Uneven Terrain
The Cardiff Crane isn’t a chunder buster, but it is a great all-day resort ride for normal snowboarders who slow down when things get uneven. There is a nice balance between being poppy and damp here.
Edge Hold
This has a pretty competent grip without being grabby at all.
Turn Initiation
Even the 154 was a little slow for me, but it was more than manageable at this size. It got where I wanted it to go, and while it wasn’t fast, it was smooth and predictable.
Turning Experience/Carving
I really liked how this turned for a 154 and also turned in a 158 split. It is not a super hard carver, but you can definitely lay it over. The overall turning experience is fun. It definitely lies on the more turny side but doesn’t stray away from longer, narrower down-the-line high-speed turns either. Medium to tighter radius across the groomer turns are the sweet spot, for sure.
Powder
With a setback on board of -1.625 on reference and -2.675 set all the way back, both at a 22” stance width, the Cardiff Crane has pretty good directional float for an all-mountain ride. When you factor in the bigger nose and the little bit of taper, it should do really well compared to most of its peers.
Switch/Mtn Freestyle
It’s a very doable Switch. I also took the Cardiff Crane in the pipe, and it did well. That being said, I just carved the walls. I think this is best for kickers of any size. It tracks so well into the small hits we did that you can see this can go exponentially bigger.
Conclusion
The Cardiff Crane is a versatile mid/wide one-board quiver that can do a little better in powder than most All-Mountain boards.
Cardiff Crane Specs
Cardiff Crane Images
Cardiff Crane User Reviews
Elegance in motion
For me, this is about as close to a unicorn quiver board as I have ever found. It is a really really nice board - so well conceived! I'm more a free-rider than anything else, but at a late age, I've decided to have fun working on my pops, spins, butters, rolls... and incorporating that it into what has normally been a carve and fly style of freeride. I'm in trees. I'm in bumps. I'm on steeps and I ride fast. That's the foundation I'm coming from. At 55, I'm a little more mellow, and I want to ride more playfully now. The Crane is perfect for what I'm trying to build into my game. So.. here's what I know. I've had it in steep 2' bottomless. I've had it on a couple lower gradient 1' pow days and I've had it on a couple days of soft groomers lined with side hits. I'm too old to ride hard conditions any more. First - Don't be fooled by the specs - The Crane is amazing in powder. When I rode the 2' day, I had my front foot back, and my back foot centered. I wasn't even shifted all the way back. ( I ride between 10 and 15 matching positive/negative front/back, and I ride a little oversized - I'm on the 162 ) I never once had trouble with the nose staying afloat. It has a big nose with a nice soft rocker flex. Its soft but its also stable and easily dealt with how steep the terrain was - even when I really needed a hard carve. Honestly - I couldn't believe how fun it was to ride in deep cold pow. Blew me away! I never thought it would ride that well bc it has so little taper. However, the setback, the nose and the medium flex make it a great pow board. Its not a fast turner - bc of the medium flex - but in good snow, I had a great time in the trees and was never nervous or off balance. On my groomer days, I had a ton of fun carving, spinning 180s to switch and ollying off side hits. Crane is a very good name for this board. The board truly rides with elegance and grace. Its just moves and turns so beautifully. But don't be fooled and think its just for mellow riding. Its got a big ass end, and its got some sass in that ass. Super Poppy Tail!! - so fun to jump with, and the wide base tracks so well into and out of jumps. Just a fucking blast. Very playful. It is set back a bit (I think -20), but it rides switch really really well. I just leaned back a tiny ways to make up the difference and was making top to bottom runs with ease practicing my switch. I'm not all that great at buttering yet, but the nose is big, blunt, soft and perfect for it. The tail takes a little more work to hold a butter, but its awesome for popping out of them or just ollying all over the mountain. The base? DO NOT underestimate how awesome it is to have a really good base. (I used to ride hard-boots and ride with skiers, so I've always had really nice sintered bases so that I could keep up) This is the fastest base I've ridden and a base this good is an awesome awesome bonus that can't be discounted. The Crane picks up speed very fast, and will carry you through the worst of flat cats. Its even easy to speed it up on a cat track if you know how to use leverage and a little rear butter to gain speed. So.. those are the good things. I LOVE this board. When the snow is good - its is a dream in so many ways. Where I'm glad its part of my quiver, and why its not truly a one-board quiver for me, is when all the steep freeride runs I like get chopped up and hit by weather or wind. Once the steep stuff gets uneven and unpredictable, I want a stiffer board with more taper. I haven't ridden it, but I assume The Cardiff Goat would be perfect for that stuff. TRUTH - there really is no "one-board" quiver out there. I don't care what anyone says. So.. I did ok in the chop and the variable pow conditions of second and third day riding, but I definitely took a little something off the throttle to check my speed. If you find yourself in steep, uneven terrain with bumps and carved out trees where you might need to slash side to side a couple times to kill speed, this board isn't as quick edge to edge as I'd prefer. But.. The oh so graceful crane is dialed the fuck in if you hit fresh snow or nice groomers. Its pretty much other-level riding in those cases. You'll hear some people say that all boards ride great in champagne powder. But like Jesus turned water into wine - The Crane turns every day champagne into Dom Perignon. If you appreciate how fun it is to turn and carve on a snowboard, and if you like landing/riding switch and ollying off everything you see.... get out your fucking credit card, Bruh and just make it happen!!
I hope this helps. Peace and tight turns, y'All!
Where To Buy
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